After the attack of the swarm Mary and her mother sat in silence for a few minutes. Her mom was the one to break the silence.

    “Okay now I can see why this has been a problem for you. How about we go to the store and buy every bug repellent they’ve got?”

    “Yeah let’s do that.”


    Mary helped her mother lug in the many canisters of bug spray and set them on the রান্নাঘর counter. Her mother brought in the rest of the bags and they then spent the rest of the দিন setting up bug zappers and making sure every room in the house had a can of bug spray. Mary made sure to stock her and her sisters bathroom alone with about three cans of spray on bug repellent and also placed at least five citronella candles in her room.

    Even after all these precautions the house seemed to attract আরো bugs than usual. Mary would see them outside mostly and every time she appeared they seemed to scurrying away from her. As long as they stay away from me they can do whatever they want.


    Three days after the original swarm incident Mary found herself taking her thirteen বছর old sister to a movie. Their movie theater was প্রদর্শিত হচ্ছে the original Phantom of the Opera and it was one of the few চলচ্চিত্র they could both enjoy, though for different reasons of course. Kristen (though she insisted on being called Christine) went to see a crazy genius fall in প্রণয় with and kidnap young girls, while Mary went to see Lon Chaney play a monstrous man who falls in প্রণয় with and kidnaps young girls. As they were walking out Kristen adopted the swooning personality of Christine.

    “Oh Raoul, Raoul! Save me Raoul!” She called out with one hand clutched to her chest and one hand lying on her forehead. Mary decided to get in on the game and took up the persona of the Phantom.

    “No Christine! আপনি shall live forever with me below the opera house and we shall have sing-alongs every night! Mwa haha!” As her sister started giggling Mary heard a whispering in the back of her head. Dafuq? It almost sounded like chanting. The whispering got louder as if আরো and আরো voices where joining in. Mary closed her eyes and just focused on the voices. She started to be able to make out what they were saying.

    As the কুইন commands. As the কুইন commands. The chanting got louder and louder until Mary could barely hear herself think. Suddenly she heard her sister scream. She opened her eyes and started to notice bugs crawling towards them from every direction.

    “Ah hell not this again!” The bugs swarmed around her sister and seemed to lift her up and carry her away. “No, wait, don’t do that! Put her down dammit!” And they did. Then they started swarming towards her.

    AS THE কুইন COMMANDS. AS THE কুইন COMMANDS. AS THE কুইন COMMANDS.

    The ones that could fly started zooming closer and closer to her face, and the ones that couldn’t crawled up her legs.

    Oh God, don’t scream, don’t scream, don’t scream. They’re gonna crawl in your mouth, oh Lord don’t open it! As they crawled over her head Mary felt as if she was drowning in a sea of bugs. Worst way to die. Ever! Just before her vision started to black out from bug overload she saw a black object fly over head. Wait was that a jet?

    She was now buried under a mountain of bugs and she couldn’t see what was happening but she heard voices. There seemed to be a couple Mary couldn’t recognize and she could hear her sister hysterically answering them. One voice rang out loud and clear.

    “Everyone get out of my way! Move!” The voice seemed to be female. It also sounded like it belonged to a drill sergeant. Suddenly the bugs started to crawl away. Mary could open her eyes again and the first thing she saw was a girl with red hair and green eyes. She seemed to be wreathed in light as she reached for Mary’s hand. Mary reached out and grabbed the girl’s hand.