The Vine That Marked Us

Synopsis

The alarm sirens ripped through the midnight silence. I clutched the hard drive in my hand and ran down the hallway like I had lost my mind. Behind me, the old patients who used to shuffle along at a slow, careful pace were now chasing me like cheetahs. They moved on all fours without making a single sound. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural green light. I shoved the fire door open and ran straight into the pouring rain. Mud splashed up and soaked my clothes. I didn't dare look back. I had just seen Madison Dixon, the woman who had always been the kindest to me. Her skin had peeled away in loose folds, like a snake shedding. From her dry mouth, she spat out a fresh tooth, slick with blood. The hard drive in my hand carried the final secret of Brightvale Senior Institute, a place that was supposed to be a high-end nursing home. The truth inside it was enough to drive the whole world insane. I had to stay alive. I had to show it to everyone. But before I could do that, there was one thing I needed to understand. I had to know why a green vine pattern was starting to spread across the back of my hand. It was the exact same pattern the old patients had.