Red Ivy

rgue reeked of blea

Bella Grange's remains lay naked and dissected, ribs snapped open like the shattered gates of a ruined cathedr

lly, slicing through tendons and musc

Min muttered. His voice was a

ading through her organs like invasive veins. Some had even drilled through t

does that mea

. "She's not rotti

terrible, dry rasp escaping from her broken jaw. From d

icker than a piano wire, lashed out of Bella

in staggered back, gurgling, hands clawing at the ruined remains of his neck. His

nto Bella's corpse with a sickening slither, disappearing back

ith the coppery s

gue attendants flooded into the room, sc

el locked on Bella's twitching corpse. Bu

as still

Va

Black Vale City Hall archives, coat tor

records. He smashed the padlock with his boot, ignoring th

plans showe

Creek, an abandoned Cold

nels stretching like

ion: "VALECORP EXPERIMENTAL

lanted the iv

had plant

d throbbed. The walls seemed to pulse. The o

m, the do

ned, gu

k visor helmet down, semi-automatic in hand. Behi

k, breath sharp

ard lifted

t fall. Instead, he convulsed, shoulder pads snapping outward as thick red vi

d hundreds of tiny black seeds spilled out,

in sprayed the wall, but the body only collapsed when the vines in

tore through the archive shelves, shredd

it wasn't human anymore. Its voice had a rasp, a wet tearing quality. It pulled itself upri

lutched tight. As he ran, he glimpsed the walls, the ivy was already the

itself wa

s running