They Were Here Before Us: A Novella in Pieces by Eric LaRocca

Author:Eric LaRocca [LaRocca , Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bad Hand Books
Published: 2022-10-24T21:00:00+00:00

Bug stirs in bed, her eyes still closed.

She stretches both arms above her head, her whole body shuddering with the satisfaction of a night of rest.

Opening her eyes, Bug reaches out to touch Bird, but finds her gone and her side of the bed already dressed.

She chews her fingernails. Her eyes scan the empty room.

After taking a shower, Bug confronts the thing she loathes the most: her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

She stands there for a moment, a towel wrapped around her head of wet hair.

She dabs her fingers in the small container of lotion and smears some on her chin. It’s then that her fingers recognize the looseness of skin running down her neck.

Bug gently tugs, her skin stretching like elastic. She frowns, teeth clenching as she continues to pull. Another yank and the flesh peels from her neck and highlights a supple, healthy pinkness beneath. Her new skin beneath, however, appears hard and shines as if it were plastic.

The rubbery pleat of old skin wiggles in Bug’s hand. Her curiosity soon turns to concern, and she lets it slip from between her fingers.

Eyes returning to her reflection, her hands move over the newly exposed skin. Her fingers tour the roundness of a small, dark birthmark now fixed at the center of her throat.

It’s not long, however, before her eyes locate another peculiarity.

She leans closer to the glass, her breath whistling.

She doesn’t believe it.

She holds her eyelid open just to be sure.

One eye—its usual shade of dark brown.

The other—jade green.

Her mouth hangs open, as if desperately trying to comprehend.

A gust of wind murmurs around her, lifting her hair.

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