CHAPTER ONE:PEST CONTROL

The tires of the sedan crunched over the gravel as Mellisa drove past the weathered wooden sign that read "WELCOME TO HAMLET." It was October 28, 1991, but the crisp autumn air felt heavy with a silence that had lasted for miles. Beside her, fifteen-year-old Lisa stared out the window, her face partially obscured by a clinical mask. She hadn’t spoken since they left their old life behind.

"Honey, I promise you, Hamlet will be a fresh start," Mellisa said, her voice pleading for a crack in her daughter's armor. Lisa didn't move. "Baby, please say something. What happened to your Dad... it wasn't our fault, okay?"

Lisa turned sharply, her eyes burning with a cold, sharp fury above the edge of her mask. "Yeah, whatever," she muttered.

Mellisa’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. "What is that supposed to mean, huh?"

"It means it’s your fault," Lisa snapped, her voice trembling with rage. "You fucked our family."

"Language, young lady!" Mellisa shouted, her face flushing.

Lisa let out a jagged, angry laugh. "Language? Is that what you’re concerned about? I just want you to accept that you’re wrong. You fucked up our family for the first time in your life!"

"You know what? You’re grounded," Mellisa yelled, her eyes leaving the road to glare at her daughter. "You won’t go anywhere. You’ll stay home and learn how to speak to your mother!"

"You selfish bitch!" Lisa screamed. She lunged toward the steering wheel, grabbing at her mother’s arms in a desperate, frantic struggle. The car swerved violently, the tires losing their grip on the pavement before the world dissolved into the deafening crunch of metal and shattering glass.

As the dust settled on the wreckage, a figure emerged from the treeline. He walked with a hitching, unnatural gait, his skin blackened and charred like a walking corpse—a zombie born of fire. Mellisa, pinned and bleeding, fought through the haze of a concussion to shield her daughter, but the creature was relentless. He lunged forward, his teeth sinking into Mellisa’s shoulder. As the world turned black for her, the man gathered the unconscious Lisa into his arms and disappeared into the dark woods of Hamlet.

By November 21, the air in Hamlet had turned bitter. Rose found herself standing in the middle of the Brickwall Mall, but the shops were empty and the lights flickered with a dying hum. Her skin began to itch—a deep, rhythmic throb. She looked down in horror as thick, green veins pulsed beneath her flesh, threatening to burst through the surface.

Suddenly, Andy appeared, stumbling toward her with blood slicking his clothes. Rose stood frozen, her legs heavy as lead.

"You are a pest, Rose," Andy hissed, his voice echoing. "A unique type of pest. And you broke your vow."

Rose screamed as the shadows shifted, revealing the pale, bloodied forms of IZ and her dead stepbrother, Jacob. They moved toward her with accusatory stares.

"Why do you get to live while we die?" Jacob asked, his voice dripping with venom. "You are a curse, Rose."

"I thought we were friends," IZ whispered, her eyes hollow. "But you left me to die."

"Please," Rose sobbed, clutching her head. "Please forgive me."

"Pest. Pest. Pest," they chanted in a terrifying unison. "You will die and go to hell, bitch!"

Rose bolted upright in bed, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her room was quiet, the moonlight filtering through the blinds. It was just a nightmare, but the phantom itch in her veins remained.

Down at the Hamlet Police Station, Fabio paced the floor of the lobby. He needed to see the Chief, but Scott stood in his way, leaning against a desk with a smug expression.

"What can’t you understand, man?" Scott said. "The Chief is out of town."

Fabio stepped into Scott’s space, his voice low and urgent. "Look, I know you hate me, okay? But this is getting out of hand."

Scott let out a sarcastic bark of a laugh. "Oh, let me guess. Is there a Russian or Spanish conspiracy going on again? Just like what happened at the mall three weeks ago?"

Disgusted, Fabio turned on his heel and stormed out of the station.

At Hamlet High School, the morning sun did little to cheer the mood. Rose dropped her bicycle by the racks and marched toward Apollo, Owen, and Kevin. A new student, Ruth, was standing with them.

"Guys, where’s Charles?" Rose demanded.

Apollo leaned back, crossing his arms. "Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up."

"Yeah, good morning to you too, Rosey," Kevin added.

Owen, however, noticed the tremble in her hands. "Guys, stop. Rose, what is wrong?"

"I need to talk to you guys at the Trog Centre," Rose said, her eyes darting around the hallway. As they started to move, Ruth followed. Rose stopped and turned, her gaze icy. "Trog party members only!"

Ruth scoffed, looking hurt. "What? I played Trog too."

"Umm, like once, right?" Rose snapped. "So stay!"

While the group headed for their sanctuary, Fabio arrived at the Hugo residence. He found Sarah sitting outside on the porch, her eyes fixed on the distance. She looked fragile.

"Thank God, Sarah," Fabio said, approaching her. "I need to talk to you about John." When she didn't answer, he sat beside her in concern. "Hey, what is wrong?"

Sarah’s eyes filled with tears. "Nothing. It’s just... tomorrow is November 22nd. That’s the day that changed my son forever. And now he’s got a fever." She broke down, and Fabio pulled her into a protective hug.

Across town, Maria sat in the Thompson home. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, the grieving parents of her dead friend Laura, looked at her with a mixture of gratitude and sorrow.

"Thank you, Maria, for accepting to tutor Norah," Mrs. Thompson said.

Maria offered a small, sad smile. "Please don’t, Ma. She’s my sister too."

Mr. Thompson shook his head. "Seeing you do this makes me sad about Laura. I mean, if that lazy son of a bitch Chief had done something better, Laura would still be alive." The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. "Maria, you can go in. She’s inside," Mrs. Thompson said, nodding toward the hallway.

Back at the Trog Centre, Rose paced the small room as she recounted her dream to Apollo, Owen, and Kevin.

"It’s like the Swamp Knight veins are inside my skin," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I saw Jacob, Andy, and IZ. They were so upset with me. That’s why I need to see Charles."

"But—but why?" Owen asked.

"I need to protect him because the date is approaching," Rose replied.

"Protect him how?" Apollo challenged. "You’re the one who needs protection."

Kevin frowned. "And which date are you talking about?"

Rose looked at them, her eyes wide with fear. "November 29. The day that marks exactly one year since Charles's kidnapping."

The weight of the date hit them all at once. Meanwhile, deep in the woods, Fabio and Sarah stood over a gruesome scene. Three corpses lay tangled in the undergrowth, their bodies shredded by savage bite marks.

"I don’t want to believe it, Sarah, but last night..." Fabio trailed off, his face pale. "Me and these three people were hiking when a man showed up—all burnt. He started biting them like an animal. I was able to escape, but I think it’s that cult group of cannibalism." Sarah stared at the bodies, her breath hitching in shock.

The group of friends emerged from the Trog Centre, walking with a sense of urgent purpose. Ruth was waiting for them in the hallway and tried to fall in step. "Is everything okay with Charles?" she asked.

They ignored her, but Rose finally spun around, her patience gone. "Stop being nosey in our affairs and go home, new girl!" she yelled. Ruth stood frozen as Rose walked away, leaving the new student alone in the hall.

At the Thompson house, Maria sat across from fifteen-year-old Norah. A math textbook lay open between them, but Norah wasn't looking at the numbers. She was staring directly at Maria.

"You were with my sister the night she died, right?" Norah asked.

Maria froze. "Norah, what are you saying?"

"I’m saying you killed Laura," Norah said, her voice rising as she began to sob. "And now I am living like a stupid loser. You took the one person that made me feel alive in this world." As Norah cried, a wave of intense dizziness washed over Maria, the room beginning to spin.

Miles away, in the sterile, cold environment of the Hamlet Laboratory, IZ’s eyes fluttered open. She was strapped to a table, and a man stood over her. He went by the name MK ULTRA.

"Hello, Isabella," he said calmly.

IZ blinked, her mind a complete blank. No memories, no name, no past. "Who... who are you?" she whispered, before the darkness claimed her once again.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***