Jenna, the unofficial leader, nervously glances between her friends, her hands fidgeting with a frayed blanket. Olivia, always the skeptic, paces near the window, occasionally peeking out at the deserted street below. Maya, Rachel, and Sam sit together, their faces pale with worry. "We can't stay in here forever," Jenna finally says, breaking the silence. "Have you seen what's happening out there? I'm not risking it," Olivia snaps back, voice trembling.
"Should we open it?" Maya whispers, her voice barely audible. "What if it's one of them?" Sam whispers back, clutching an old baseball bat. The knock grows louder, more desperate, and finally Jenna swings open the door—revealing their neighbor, Carla, her belly impossibly round, eyes wild with urgency. "You have to help me... Please, let me in," Carla pleads, her voice cracking.
Carla[/@ch_6] in, the tension in the room thickening. Her movements are erratic, and she clings to Jenna, whispering feverishly about the virus and its irresistible urge to spread. The friends recoil from her, but the urge is contagious—Carla’s touch lingers on Maya’s arm, and something shifts in Maya’s expression. The room is awash with low, golden lamplight, shadows crawling up the walls.]
"I... I feel strange," Maya murmurs, clutching her stomach as it begins to swell, her breath shallow. "No, Maya, fight it! You’re stronger than this," Rachel cries, but Maya’s eyes glaze over, a strange smile tugging at her lips.
"We need a plan. We can’t just wait for it to take us all," Jenna says, her eyes darting between the swelling bellies and the bathroom door. "What if it’s too late? What if we’re the last ones left?" Olivia whispers through the crack, tears streaming down her face.
"I’m sorry, Jenna. I can’t stop it," Rachel gasps as she succumbs. Jenna, heart pounding, backs into the corner, her arms wrapping protectively around herself as the infected women close in.
"We’re the last, but we’re together," Jenna whispers, tearfully gripping her friends’ hands. Outside, the city awakens, unaware that the infection has claimed its final holdouts, the cycle ready to begin anew.
