Inside the skull cavity was a mass of larvae.

Hundreds, thousands, maybe more, were spinning and twisting around in a thick bunch. Each larva was pale white, almost translucent, and about the width of a fingernail. A few had started to spill out of the gunshot wound, plinking down onto the blood-soaked carpet and writhing there.

"Ian!" I called. I tried to take a breath, but I couldn't breathe. "Ian!"

I realized I wasn't calling out at all, but whispering. I couldn't speak. Another pair of larvae fell from Mr. Hershel's head and landed softly on the carpet.

I turned away from the body. I closed my eyes and forced myself to breathe. I just had to get Morgan's clothes, and then I could leave.

I jerked open all of her drawers. I grabbed a few pairs of underwear, socks, and the first tops I could find. All she needed was something to cover up with; it didn't matter what. As soon as I found a couple pairs of jeans, I wrapped everything up in an oversized t-shirt.

Morgan's phone was on the dresser, so I grabbed that too and left the room as quickly as possible.

Just as I stepped out onto the porch, the phone rang in my hand.

Ashley flashed on the screen. Someone was calling from my phone.

"Who is this?" I snapped, in an irrational mixture of overflowing confusion and fear.

"Whoa!" said a male voice. "Everything okay? Is this Morgan?"

"Who is this?" I repeated. "This is Ashley. You have my phone."

"It's Bryce. Ashley, it's Bryce. I ended up grabbing your phone after last night. I'm so sorry, it's the same model as mine. I wanted to get it back to you."

I was approaching my car now, but I stopped short at the front gate.

Even after everything I'd just witnessed, what I saw now was even more surprising.

I had no idea what to think. I dropped the phone.

In my car's front seat, dimly lit by the overhead light, Ian was holding Morgan tightly in the comforter.

But she had placed both of her hands, gently, at either side of his face.

And she was kissing him.

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