A Lesson Learned
Slowly consciousness returned to Dr. McAllen. She awoke to find herself on the floor in the lab at the back room of her biology classroom. Groggy and unsure as to what had happened to her she jolted back toward the wall upon noticing the dead facehugger lying on floor beside her. She recalled nothing of what it had done to her, save for it jumping out at her.
“Oh my, are-are you dead little guy?”, she said while making slight pokes at it.
Getting up slowly and with a bit of soreness from being on the floor for a while she picked it up and placed it on the tray it was once on, this time she would definitely try to dissect it.
“Well I guess there is only one thing to do with you then. Now let’s see what makes you, *cough cough* tick.”, Dr. McAllen said with a light cough in her voice.
But then just as she was about to reach for her scalpel she heard the school bell, signaling the change of class periods. She took notice then of the time and saw that her biology was to start now. She couldn’t believe it was time already, she had been unconscious for three hours. Dr. McAllen had figured whatever the strange creature had done to her, had kept her knocked out for quite some time. And as much as she was begging to know what this things was made of, how it functioned, and perhaps what it did to her would have to wait, much to the displeasure of her scientific curiosity, she had a class to teach. Looking into a small mirror on the wall she made herself as presentable as she could be and walked out into the classroom, leaving the dead facehugger behind for now.
She made her way to the front of the classroom as students started coming in. Taking a piece of chalk into her hand she began writing notes and drawing diagrams on the blackboard behind her. Once done she turned to greet her all girl class.
“Good morning everyone. Let’s begin, there is much to discuss.”, She stated to the class.
“Just as a refresher, can anyone tell me where we left off last class in the text?, Dr. McAllen asked.
“Symbiotic and parasitic reproductive patterns and growth.”, called out a student.
“Very good, Ashely thank you. Now everyone open up your books to page 395. *cough cough*”, She replied with another slight cough.
Facing the chalk board she began to lecture the class.
“Now who can tell me the difference between a symbiotic organism and a parasite?”, Dr. McAllen asked.
“Symbiotic organisms are creatures that tend to form cooperative living patterns with another living thing, while parasite tend to just feed of a host organism to further its own survival.”, a student answered.
“Excellent, now regarding parasites, according to our last lecture there are several different kinds of parasites. But can someone give me an example of one? How about you Vanessa?”, she asked turning once again to the board with yet another slightly harder cough.
“A good example I guess could be the amazon lynch mite.”, Vanessa answered
“Wonderful example Vanessa, care to elaborate?”, Dr. McAllen asked, while giving a minor cough and noting a slight congested feeling in her chest.
“Well the book made reference to it in chapter 4 but I think it is a predatory bug that hunts other larger bugs for two reasons, food and breeding purposes.”, Vanessa continued.
Dr. McAllen nodded in agreement and turn to the board to elaborate with a diagram.
“Said mite seeks out other, often larger bugs, to either feed upon or to….*cough cough* use for breeding.”, Dr. McAllen roughly said.
“You ok there teach?”, asked another student.
“I’m fine, I must be either coming down with something or my allergies are acting up again.” , the doctor answered.
“Now then, the mite in chapter 4 often feed on other bugs but it did so in a rather gruesome,…..*cough*, way.”, she continued while facing the board.
“It would find an insect larger than itself, and……*cough*, attack it and render it hepless with a poisonous bite and……*cough cough*.”, she said in between coughs.
“I’m sorry but can anyone pick up from the book while it address the diagram? Can seem to can’t seem to get a word in as it were, *cough*.”, the doctor asked while pointing at Ashley and then returning to the board.
“Once paralyzed the mite attaches itself to its prey and begins to lay eggs within its target.”, the girl stated as Dr. McAllen gripped her chalk a bit tighter.
“Once it has done so, the mite dies and detaches from its prey.”, Ashley continued, now as Dr. McAllen leaned over the front desk slightly panting and sighing.
“Dr. McAllen are you alright?”, Ashley asked.
“No…go on….*cough* I’m fine.”, the doctor staggered to say.
Shrugging her shoulders Ashley continued reading aloud. “The bug, once regaining mobility will go on as if nothing happened while the eggs inside will grow into larva that would sap nutrients for the host insect….”
While the girl was talking, Dr. McAllen was experiencing an increasing discomfort, She felt as if her chest had grown tighter, and for a moment, could swear she felt as though something was moving about in her. She leaned forward at the desk and felt her chest with her hand, in an attempt to sooth herself.
“The maturing larva within would then go on grow, and eat the host from the inside and then burst out of….the…host. Dr. McAllen are you sure your are alright?”, Ashley asked as she stopped reading.
Dr. McAllen was panting and coughing heavier now at her desk. Facing down at her papers she cringed in growing pain as she felt a pain starting to emanate from her chest.
“ *cough cough* Go….get….arghhh…. the nurse p-please.”, Dr. McAllen said clenching her eye and gritting her teeth as a student ran to fetch the nurse.
She tried to regain her posture and composure, trying to slow her breathing for a moment until suddenly, CRACK! She lurched forward grasping her chest as the students in the classroom jumped back in their seats. She fell upon the desk before her and started to convulse an seize.
“Ugghh…..rrrrahhh! *gasp gasp*.”, she grunted and moaned as the pain within her mounted.
“Dr. McAllen! Come on we have to help her!”, shouted Vanessa as she and two other students rushed to her side.
They tried to hold her still but to little avail as she was thrash about to hard.
“Ahhh……..crack-crack…..*gag*…….oh God!”, Dr. McAllen yelped and gasped as sickening sounds of bones cracking were heard.
“Uhhhh….c-crack.”, she gagged as she arched her chest upward. Upon laying back down she ripped open her buttoned shirt in a vague attempt to see what was happening to her. All she could see was a growing bloody patch blooming in the middle of her chest and a repeating bulge appearing, as if something inside her was trying to get out.
She gripped her chest with both hands and briefly glanced around at the faces of the horrified students around her as some backed away.
“Hhhhgggg…..Urrraaghh…..*Cra-Crack*…….AHHHHHHHHH!”, Dr. McAllen screamed as she clenched her eyes shut and threw her head back, arching her back upward one final time as her chest ruptured open and a small snake-like creature burst forth from her now bloody rib cage just as a student returned with the nurse.
“Holy Shit!”, screamed one student as all of them leapt back, sprayed with the blood and gore of their teacher.
They looked on in horror as the small alien creature let out a piercing and shrill cry leading them all to scream in terror as it slithered out from Dr. McAllen’s chest and out of the classroom. The rest of the horrified class had only their fear, uncertainty, and dismay to accompany them as they looked on at the bloody scene that had just taken place before them. A lesson they and the late Dr. McAllen won’t ever forget.
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